Can we reverse engineer the brain like a computer?

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Can we reverse engineer the brain like a computer?

Neuroscientists have a dizzying array of methods to listen in on hundreds or even thousands of neurons in the brain and have even developed tools to manipulate the activity of individual cells. Will this unprecedented access to the brain allow us to finally crack the mystery of how it works? Here we revisit a 2017 paper claiming that modern neuroscience approaches wouldn’t even allow us to understand the simplest “brain” (a microprocessor) and we re-evaluate that critique in the context of some exciting new research.

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How the brain helps songbirds work together

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How the brain helps songbirds work together

Humans often work together to accomplish complex tasks, including language learning, or singing harmonies. How does the brain support that kind of complex, coordinated group behavior? A species of duetting birds offers some clues - and suggests your brain may have a bigger backstage role than you might think.

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"Be curious": Neurotalk S2E18 Rainer Friedrich

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This week on Neurotalk, we speak with Rainer Friedrich about information coding in the olfactory bulb, optogenetic stimulation of olfactory neurons in the zebrafish, and more! Dr. Friedrich is a Senior Group Leader and Professor at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research.

This week on Neurotalk, we speak with Rainer Friedrich about information coding in the olfactory bulb, optogenetic stimulation of olfactory neurons in the zebrafish, and more!

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Dr. Friedrich is a Senior Group Leader and Professor at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research.